The ABC allows comments on some of our articles, as a space for you to contribute your thoughts about news events and participate in civil conversations about topical issues.

All comments are moderated and we make no guarantees that your contribution will be published.

Reply

Author

Email

Date/Time

03 Aug 2015 5:21:49am

Text

PreviousMessage

Blaming the institution for the whole issue is unsophisticated.

There are some good points made here about the way in which the Catholic Church has portrayed God, and the religious legalism of some of its practices, but there are many thousands, nay, millions of Catholics, including the majority of priests, who are not abusers, serial or otherwise, and who have grown up under the same umbrella of staunch religion.

The real issue here is that of men who are drawn sexually to children and young men and women and unable to curb their desires. They had pedophile tendencies long before they entered the priesthood. Indeed, many see or have seen the priesthood as an entry into opportunity.

These predators will always be drawn to the places where children are most likely to gather. This is such an obvious point that I am surprised it is missing from your conclusions.

The main issue is illicit human desire for children and youth in a handful of men which they yield to, finding ways to gain access to the innocent and naive.

If there is an issue with the Catholic Church, it is that it has, in the past, made it so easy for predatory abusers to access, and denied that it happens for so long that they created a bigger problem for everyone than if they had admitted there was a problem.

Any inquiry needs to look at why these men are like they are, and how to detect their presence early.

If the enquiry focuses solely on the institution and neglects to investigate what it is that makes a pedophile or predator, it will miss an opportunity to save children from the horrors of abuse.

Could it be that this article is more of a dig at God and religion than a genuine attempt at solving a universal problem?